Fishy backstop at new Florida Marlins ballpark — dual aquariums

I sure hope Hanley Ramirez keeps his eye on the ball and not on the fish when the Marlins open their new ballpark in 2012.

The team just announced a unique feature: dual aquariums that will serve as the home plate backstop.

The twin Custom Saltwater Aquariums that will flank both sides of home plate have been approved by Major League Baseball, said P.J. Loyello, the team’s vice president.

They’ll be stocked with saltwater tropical fish, “but there won’t be any Marlin,” Loyello said.The aquarium exhibits will provide baseball fans with a firsthand glimpse of the fish and coral reef ecosystems that are synonymous with South Florida.

Designed and Built in Ft. Lauderdale by Living Color Enterprises Inc., the aquariums have been designed to ensure the safety and health of the many species of aquatic life that will inhabit them, the team said.

The aquariums will be built on each side of home plate and will be been positioned to prevent any disruption to players on the field.

The aquarium to the right of home plate (when looking from the pitcher’s mound) measures an impressive 34 feet long, 36 inches high and holds over 600 gallons of seawater, while the aquarium to the left, will be 24 feet in length, holding 450 gallons of water.

Each aquarium will be constructed using a durable fiberglass structure, while crystal-clear acrylic panels 1.5 inches thick will be used for the impressive viewing windows that run the entire length of the aquariums.

To safeguard the exhibits from unexpected impacts, Lexan – the material used in bulletproof windows – will be installed in front and in back of the acrylic panels to protect the aquarium from foul balls, errant pitches or any other unexpected contact.

In other words, don’t worry about any fish spilling onto the field if a wild pitch from one of Josh Johnson’s fastballs hits the glass!

“Is it going to be weird looking at fish swimming and you’re trying to throw strikes? Probably not,” said pitcher Chris Volstad.

Reliever Clay Hensley wondered if infielders will have a problem with it.

“If they have fish moving around and the ball’s coming at them at the same height as the aquarium, that can be tough to see,” Hensley said.